


Babylon

by fabricdragon



Series: The Book of John [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Biblical Allusions (Abrahamic Religions), Brainwashing, Dark Mycroft Holmes, Developing Relationship, F/M, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Jim is no angel either, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Torture, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22135654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabricdragon/pseuds/fabricdragon
Summary: Sherlock is smuggled out of the country, and in that very hour a new character arrives on scene, and retribution is planned.
Relationships: Anthea & Jim Moriarty, Anthea & Mycroft Holmes, Jim Moriarty/John Watson, Mary Morstan/John Watson, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sebastian Moran/Jim Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Series: The Book of John [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/639821
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	Babylon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [randomplotbunny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomplotbunny/gifts), [MyLuverboyLouisTomlinson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLuverboyLouisTomlinson/gifts), [IantoLives](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IantoLives/gifts), [mickie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mickie/gifts), [Demitria_Teague](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demitria_Teague/gifts), [Darth_Nonie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Nonie/gifts), [TheClockworkCat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheClockworkCat/gifts), [baidati](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baidati/gifts).



John was watching Sherlock get taken into the airport from the back seat of Jim’s private car- along with Jim- and he had to admit that Jim was absolutely right: Sherlock was too thin, strung out, good looking and six feet tall… and he blended right in.

Admittedly the haircut was not a style John would have ever pictured on the man- and he had questioned it severely when Jim’s personal stylist had done it- but it turned out every OTHER tall, thin, vaguely strung out looking person had the same haircut…

Women included…

At least… John was fairly certain of the gender of most of them, but some of them not so much.

Jim smirked at him as he watched the crowd of fashion models being gathered together by their manager/keeper/whatever. “Told you.” 

Jim looked like he could be a model for expensive suits and high end cars himself- despite being not that tall and not that thin-and John was VERY certain he was male…

_And still attractive as hell, damn it._

John sighed, “Seventeen fashion models, all of them around six feet tall, thin, and with the same haircut… okay except that guy and he came as close as he could with his hair…”

“Mmm-Hmm,” Jim’s smirk got just a touch more knowing, “hot as hell isn't it? You can scarcely pick him out of the crowd.”

“I can scarcely tell which ones are women…” John sighed.

Jim told the driver to pull up to the arrival gates. “We’re actually picking someone up, so our car blends in in a different fashion.”

“Do I want to know how you got a crowd of fashion models with the same hair cut on this kind of notice?”

“Probably not, but i’ll tell you if you ask…” Jim sounded smug- of course he had a reason to be.

“Heading to New York?” John hazarded.

“Nope, Milan: the New York Fashion Week shows are before the London shows. Those models are leaving London for Fashion Week in Milan.” the car pulled up smoothly to the arrivals gate and next to a good looking businesswoman with a few pieces of luggage next to her who was staring at her phone. 

John put his hand on the door and Jim waved at John to stay put, “Sorry Johnny-Boy, i know you have this natural instinct to help, but you can't let yourself be seen by the cameras: stay well back from the open door, too.”

“Ah, right.” John sat back and let the driver help load the woman’s luggage into the boot.

She got into the back and didn't even react to there being anyone else in the car- John assumed that was because the cameras might pick up something- but just resumed looking at her phone while the driver got in and they pulled away.

Once they were moving she smiled- without looking up- “Good day, Sir, i assume we have a crisis if you are recalling me.”

“We do,” Jim sighed, “And it's complicated. Oh, you remember John Watson?”

She looked up briefly then and John almost choked, “Anthea?!”

A flicker of a smile crossed her face and she looked back down at her phone, “I’ve used that name, yes. I’ve informed Mister Holmes that my business in America is concluded and he immediately requested that I return to assist with some issues involving his brother."

“Imagine that,” Jim laughed and passed her a glass of champagne.

She finally put down the phone and took the glass with a polite nod. “I look forward to hearing what it is i am assisting Mister Holmes with, sir.”

“I think, my dear, that the Iceman has outlived his usefulness…”

She simply cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, “Alas, Babylon?”

Jim poured John and himself a glass of what turned out to be ginger ale and sat back, “Give back to him as he has done to others…”

John frowned, “that's a quote, isn't it?”

Anthea, or whoever she really was sipped at her champagne and then recited, “It's from the book of Revelation: ‘Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow.’ Babylon, the great City- the center of commerce and politics…”

Jim sighed and sipped his Ginger Ale, “Much as i wanted to take Mycroft down for what he did to me; the markets are going to crash, and the political situation will be utterly appalling.”

John frowned, “Babylon the Great has fallen? When i was posted out that way a lot of the religious folks in the military went on about it: isn't that the apocalypse?”

Anthea was back typing on her phone, “Taking out Mycroft Holmes?” she said as though they were discussing normal business, not as though this was anyone she knew or worked for or… or anything. “For London, and for the British Government? It might as well be…”

**Author's Note:**

> I am adding some links and references for anyone who wants to look up some of the references:
> 
> https://glowsly.com/fashion-week-schedules-history/
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whore_of_Babylon  
> https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/who-is-the-whore-of-babylon-and-why-does-it-matter/
> 
> https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+18&version=NKJV  
> https://biblehub.com/revelation/18-1.htm
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alas,_Babylon (a book, originally, about a nuclear war and the aftermath)  
> http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/alas_babylon_frank/alas_babylon_study_guide22.html (warning, black print on blue)


End file.
